Given the Choice
by aspiringTechGuy1617
Summary: One shot alternate ending to "Endgame". In the heat of the Reach crisis, Barry sacrifices himself for Wally asking for only one thing in return. (Not related to "The Timetable")


_So, starting right now, I'm taking a break from writing "The Timetable". Both real life and creative issues are happening in such a way that I'll need to stop for a couple of months (I'm sorry). But, so not to leave you all empty handed, here's a one shot I've wanted to write since seeing "Endgame". Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Superheroes around to world rejoiced. The last of the Reach's Magnetic Field Disruptors had been neutralized! Many sighs of relief blew through the main hall of the Watchtower… but only for a moment.

Lex Luthor pointed out that a single MFD had somehow escaped their attention. It was sitting pretty in a North Pole ice field. Satellite imagery captured the device's activation in real time. The Team and the Justice League watched the screen in shock and horror as the disruptor went critical.

"Hang on, I've got this, "crackled a voice over radio communication. It was Barry Allen the world famous Scarlet Speedster- the Flash. At his side was his partner and grandson Bart Allen who apparently had arrived from the future only months before. The two were travelling at superspeed to the MFD's location.

"It is already too late. The disruptor has reached its terminating stages. We have passed the point of no return, " Luthor said in a somber tone.

"Maybe not. I've run [Barry cracks a smile] into this kind of situation before. The energy pulsating out of this thing is swirling in a specific direction. If we can generate enough kinetic energy in the opposite direction, we may be able to reverse the reaction and overload the machine, " Barry said now eyeing the rapidly approaching catastrophe-waiting-to-happen.

"It's possible, but may not be that simple, " Luthor said through narrowed eyes.

"Hey, we either try it or face the worst natural disaster this planet has ever seen, " Barry said. Heads nodded across the Watchtower.

"Very well. Proceed." Luthor said folding his hands behind his back.

"Alright Bart, just like we practiced, " Barry said with a side smile to his young partner. They had used a similar tactic against the supervillain Neutron a few months back when he came to destroy Central City. That was Bart's first outing as a superhero.

The two sped around the growing tornado of swirling, pulsating energy side by side, stirring up a cloud of snow and ice with their feet. The Team as well as the Justice League looked on from the Watchtower screens anxiously. They couldn't tell if the energy whirlwind was shrinking or growing due to its fluctuations. But Luthor seemed to see what was happening.

"Your efforts are making a small effect, but you'll need to generate more energy to make it subside permanently, " he said.

"We're just about at top speed. How do you suggest we generate _more_?" Barry said in a dumbfounded tone. A whoosh was heard as a rush of wind came from the back of the room. Artemis reached then looked to her left where Wally was just a couple of seconds earlier. Her eyes grew wide with fear realizing immediately what he was about to do.

* * *

A zeta beam transmission initiated a few yards from where Barry and Bart were furiously sprinting to counteract the reaction. A yellow and red blur joined the high tension merry-go-round as the energy tornado seemed to stabilize a bit.

"It's working! The fluctuations are subsiding and energy mass seems to have stopped growing!" Lucas "Snapper" Carr pointed out from where he stood in the Watchtower's Monitor Womb. Nightwing spun around and headed for the zeta tube. Though there wasn't much he could do at this point, he figured his best friend would need as much moral support as he could give. Artemis and a few other team members followed. If they were going out, they might as well be together when it happened.

* * *

Barry slowed his pace to meet Wally where he was.

"Welcome to the show kid. Glad you could make it, " he said with a grin.

"Chatty as usual – even on the brink of the apocalypse, " Wally said rolling his eyes.

"Doesn't hurt to keep things light at times like this. It's not like this is the first time the world's gotten close to ending. Looks like we're winning anyway, " Barry said looking up into the energy mass. It was more of a tornado than a ball now but was looking fairly contained. He accelerated to full speed once more.

The zeta transmission brought the Team in as they stood by and watched. Immediately, Blue Beetle's scarab began analyzing what lay before them.

"The energy mass is subsiding but there is still a problem, Jaime Reyes, " it began, "The energy will need an outlet to discharge. The 'Wally West' will be that outlet as he is moving the slowest. Though you will save your save, your friend shall perish."

"No! NO! Tell me a way to stop it! Th-there has to be a way!" Jaime shouted in reply. The other Team members snapped their heads in his direction after the sudden outburst. "Wally's in trouble!" Jaime said when he noticed his gained attention. He didn't speak a moment too soon. Barry looked back just in time to see an energy bolt snap down to the ground, nearly missing Wally's head as he ducked. The bolts became more frequent as realization flooded into Barry as to what was happening.

"Bart! Slow up for a sec but keep moving around this thing, " he shouted as he slowed to Wally's pace once more. Now he was dodging energy sparks as they attempted to lick him as well. "Wally, the energy is dispersing but there's a problem. It's going to look for an easy way to dispel its excess and that'll be through the slowest moving actor in this reaction. And at the moment that's you."

Wally scowled and shouted, "Are you seriously picking **NOW** to chew me out for not staying in shape? At least you cou-"

"Wally listen to me, you may be avoiding it right now, but eventually the energy **WILL** discharge and you'll be **KILLED**. And I refuse to see that happen… not after I'm the one who brought you into all of this in the first place… not after you nearly died trying to become like _me_."

Wally looked at his mentor for the first time since beginning the run. He remembered clearly how his uncle "introduced him to the Flash" who was his childhood hero before finding out that his aunt was dating him. Ecstatic with the revelation, Wally snuck in and stole a number of the same chemicals present in the lab in which Barry had his accident that turned him into the Flash years ago. Recreating the same setup, Wally sat anxiously by his open window during every thunderstorm… nearly an entire summer of waiting. When it finally happened and the lightning struck, the chemicals and electricity nearly stopped his heart. His uncle Barry sat with him every night at the hospital – overcome with guilt, believing that he had inspired his nephew to do this to himself. It was the same guilt (admittedly) that led Barry to take Wally on as a sidekick for his crimefighting career after superspeed powers began to manifest. The memories flooded and overwhelmed both heroes as they continued to duck and weave in attempt to dodge incoming energy blasts. It was getting harder each time.

* * *

Blue Beetle had explained the situation to his teammates and tried coaxing the scarab into helping him further but it seemed that everyone was at a loss for what to do. Artemis stood shuddering with uncontrollable sobs as spark after spark spat at her lover in attempt to take his life. The rest could do nothing more than stand and watch in silence.

Barry took one last look at the energy swirl and sighed. Bart had done what he was told and stayed at a comparable speed but often sped up to avoid getting "shot" himself. Finally steeling himself, Barry broke the silence again.

"I know you've got big plans after this. Retiring. Living as normal of a life as you can afford. I get that. I can't tell you how many times I wish that this darned rock would stop attracting trouble to itself so I can go home and have a quiet dinner with my wife. But since there is and always will be trouble, I abandon my self-interest and do what's best for the greater good. And right now, I think I can see what the greater good means."

"Uncle Barry, **what **are you talking about? You're babbling and it's making no sense, " Wally said narrowly missing another bolt.

"What I'm saying is, the world needs the Flash but not necessarily me. Now I need you to promise me something."

Seeing where this was going Wally cut in. "NO! You can't do this to yourself! You have a family! You're about to have kids! You can't just throw them away like that!"

"Wally, I knew what the risks were from the first time I wore this costume. It's practically in the job description. What I need from you is to trust me and promise me one thing-"

"No! You can't just abandon aunt Iris like that. There's a way through this, I know it… even if it means letting myself-"

"So you're going to turn around and leave Artemis? Let your bright future cut short? There's no going back, the decision has been made but I only need one thing from you if you're willing to listen for it."

Wally glared hard at the ground trying to hold back tears.

"Promise me that you'll make **sure** that the world I leave behind for my children is livable. A world where they don't have to be afraid of some maniac with a bomb or a superpowered psycho about to blow up the sun. Given the choice, I would just retire and leave all of this behind too, but it's for them, for Iris, for _you_ that I hold out for the finish line. Now I'll leave the choice to you and trust that you'll do what's right. After all, the world doesn't need me… just the Flash, " Barry said with a forced smile. He closed his eyes and sighed one last time. Patting a now silent Wally on the shoulder he slowed to a jog, "Tag, you're it."

And with that, an energy bolt hit him square in the back. He cried out in immense pain and staggered side to side. Wally watched in horror as an entire stream of energy flowed through his mentor then into the ground. The red blur flickered like a dying lightbulb and dropped to his knees. The rest of the tornado seemed to dissolve into the clouds. Soon, it was just Wally and Bart running in circles. The two decelerated and dropped to the ground in exhaustion. The team ran over to them and helped them up.

Artemis threw herself around Wally in an overjoyed hug, tears of relief streaming down her face. But when Wally wasn't hugging her back, she held him at arm's length looking into his face for the first time. It was then that she realized what was missing and hugged him again – this time for comfort.

Jaime flew over to where Bart was kneeling. The boy had his eyes close and his whole body was trembling.

"You won hermano! The world's saved, " Jaime said enthusiastically but was met by a fierce glare unlike anything he'd ever seen from the normally upbeat kid. Bart gritted his teeth then punched the ground at blinding speed leaving a crack.

"I came here to save him! I was supposed to _**prevent**_this from happening. And now, just like that, he's taken again, " Bart growled. Jaime backed up as the rest of the Team turned their attention to the seething boy. Nightwing walked up to put his hand on Bart's shoulder but was swatted away at a velocity that almost broke his wrist. Bart got up and sprinted away, leaving a wake of displaced snow in his wake. Wally didn't even attempt to stop him.

* * *

A week later, dark gray clouds cast a grotesque darkness on Central City despite it being the middle of the day. Isolated drops of rain hit the police barriers that separated the crowds from the streets as a funeral procession moved along. An empty casket with the Flash's iconic lightning bolt engraved on the top sat in the center of the procession. Superman, dressed in full costume descended to meet the front of the line where the rest of the League's founding members marched. Not since Ted Kord's death had the League participated in such a public spectacle.

In the crowds stood the Team who all honored the memory of the beloved hero. Many of them hadn't had the pleasure to fight side by side with him, but they had indeed been impacted. Even Red Arrow suited up and stood with his former teammates.

A 5-month pregnant Iris West sat in her home doubled over in sobs in front of the television. She was comforted from both sides by the Garricks who had moved in after getting news of Barry's demise. They had chosen not to attend in person for various reasons but had been invited to the private ceremony in the Watchtower later that evening.

At the end of the road that the dismal parade carried along stood Wally suited up in his Kid Flash costume. A memorial had already been erected where the casket was to be laid as a final payment of respect to the Scarlet Speedster. He had made his choice – he would accept the mantle and carry on the legacy as the Flash.

What he didn't know, was over the course of the next few years he would discover the source of their shared power, the Speed Force, which he would learn to harness and achieve speeds higher than even Barry had been able to. Bart eventually came around and rejoined the Team after disappearing for almost two months. He took on the Kid Flash mantle and accompanied Wally on countless adventures for years to come. Iris never remarried, but kept close to Wally, Artemis, and the Garricks as support after giving birth to healthy twin babies.

Wally remembered and honored what Barry asked him to do. Serving on the Justice League gave him greater perspective to the cause he had dedicated his life to: making the world livable for the next generation of humanity.

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed this quick little one off story about my favorite hero "family" in DC – the Flash family. The epilogue was a bit rushed I realize, but the point was that the mantle had been passed and Wally came out of retirement for the betterment of the world as a whole._

_Though I do wish that "Endgame" ended similarly to this, I am content with that aspect of the ending and only wish we could know what Vandy and Darkseid were up to with the War World :/_


End file.
